Wind-shield cleaner.



R. H. OWEN.

WIND SHIELD CLEANER;

APPucmos mm mm. to. wie. www mn' 11, 19H.

F\ @Me/"7:

Patented Dec. 4, 1917.

:ist

UNTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RAYMOND E. Quinn, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, serenata ro u AUTO c CORPORATION, or

c NEW YORK, N. Y., n conformation Or NEW YORK.

WINiJ-snrntn CLEANER.

Specicetion of Letters YPetcnt.

. Patentedilgec. 4, 19177.

Application led Merch 1Q, 19in,Y Sei-iai No'. 83.254. RenewedV May V1'?, 131?. Serial NO. 169,342.

To all ywhom it may concern: Y

Be it known that l, Rnrivfono H. OWEN, a citizen of the United States. and e resident of the city of Chicago,V inthe county of Cook and Stute of illinois. have invented certain new and useful Improvements Vin Wind-Shield Cleaners; and l' do' hereby declaro that the following is a full, cieer, and exact description of the same, reference being hed to the accompanying drawings1 and to the numerals of reference marked there on, which form n part of thisspecification. The chief diiiiculty experi''ncedby persons driving an automobile in stormy Weather, is the accnniulntionoi rain, sleet or snow on the outer surface of the Windshield, thus preventing e cleerifyiew of the road ahead. Attempts here been made to overcome this diiliculty by constriieting'what is commonly known as a rain Vor clearE vision Windshield constructed in twofr'sections, each of vvhich may he tilted at an angle, so that with the upper glass tiltedY Voutwardly a slight amount, a narrow space of a Width depending?Vr upontlie adjustment oi the upper glass section, is afforded. through which the driver may 'View the rond= ahead. it has heen demonstrated. however, Ythat rain or snow drifts through even a very email gap or space between the Windshield sections to a greet extentgso that the occupants of the cnr are hnly slightly protected from the weather. It is only hy the provision of e. Windshield cleaner of some tipe or another operating over the outer suriaeeof the windshield, that an ebsoiutely ciear vision is affordedV the driver. without permitting entrance of rain or snow.y as the case muy be, upon the passengers in the iront seat of the car. The attachment ofa windshield cleaner upon a Windshield is sometimes diiilcult, if not im ossilole,A if the usuel nntomobile top is in p ace and sealed along the upper edge of the Windshield.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to construct a Windshieldfleaner Whichis'iuniversally adaptable for connection and use upon practically any type of Windshield, either the one-piece glass or the clear-vision typeg'cepaloe of'being attached in more than one manner, according to the Blticular construction of the Windshield. at is to say, the Windshield cleaner may be connected over the u per edge oi the windshield and Operated ii'om the inner side thereof to sweep over the exterior surface of the windshield or, where a clear-vision Windshield'is used, and the upper end sealed to the usual protective top on the automobile, the cleaner is constructed whereby the interior mechenisms thereoil and the exterior mechanisms ere connected by n thin strip of metal extending through the slot between the upper and lower sections oi the clear-vision shield.

It is "also anv object of this invention to construct e. Windshield cleaner adapted to be connected iijion'nny type of Windshield without thecusoiof'clamps. screi'vs` boltsV ofthe like, andjoperti'ng efficiently to clean the exteriorsurfce of the shieid. Y

lt iseiso an object of this invention to construct e Windshield Cleaner adaptable for use with Vany type of Windshield, either one piece or rein-vision, adapted to be readily atteciied'thereon Without the usc of screws, bolts, or clamping devices. and operatable from the inner side of the Windshield t0 eii'ectuelly clean the outer surface thereof.

'It is furthermore an object oi this invention tol'constrnct a Windshield cleaner embracing n resilient strip of metal bent to ar'od inner and outer mechanisms. the outer mechanism operntable over the exterior snrface et" the windshield by movement of the interior Ymechanism on the inner side of the Windshield, and the entire device siideble along on'the Windshield to eiieetually clean the exterior surface thereof. Y

It is Finally an object of this invention to provideV ajdevice simple in construction and operationr'r'consisting of few parts easy to manufacture and assemble, and readily attechable YendV detachable from the Wind4 shield.

The invention (in e preferred form) is illustrated in the drawings and hereinafter more fuiy described.

In the drawings:

Figurel is e side elevation of one type of device embodying the principles of my invention.

Fig; 2 is a fragmentary exterior View of the Windshield illustrating two devices'embodying the principles of my invention attached thereon.

Fig. 3 Vis Va fragmentary detail section taken on line 3 -3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. e is a sectional detail et one end of theV device ofV the operating,r mechanisms thereof."

Fig. 5 is a view of the device shown in Fig. 3, with a guard thereon shown in section.

Fig. G is a` section taken on line 6 6 of Fig. 5.

As shown in the drawings:

The form of device shown in Fig. 1, consists of a one-piece strip or bar of metal having a central curved flat portion 1, with one end bent to form a channel 2, and the other end bent to form a tubular portion 3, with said respective channel and tubular end portions normally ilnpelled toward one another by resiliency of the flat portion l. As shown in detail in Fig. l, inserted into the tubular end portion is a pin 1, on which is journaled a fiber roller 5, and engaged rigidly on said pin to maintain the roller properly positioned thereon. is a wing plate or handle 6, consisting of two sheets of metal riveted to one another and each provided with an integral outwardly bent eX- tension 7, to aiford a guard l'or the roller 5, to prevent contact therewith by the fingers of an operator using the device. Secured in the channel portion is a rubber squeegee 8. adapted to bear upon the exterior surface of the glass when the device is attached over the upper edge of a windshield section 9, such as shown in Fig. 2, the lowei` section of the windshield being denoted by the reference numeral 10. The curved band portion 1. of the device tits around the molding along the upper edge of the windshield. permitting the device to be moved horizontally over practically7 the entire surface of the upper windshield section to etl'eetuallv clear the exterior surface thereof. of rain, sleet, or snow accumulating thereon.

The second form of my device is shown connected through the gap or slot between the windshield sections 9 and 10, of the windshield, in this instance the band or curved fiat portion of the device being denoted by the reference numeral 11, and differing from the construction illustrated in Fig. 1, only in the relation of the portion 11, to the channel. portion Q. In this latter construction, the curvature of the flanged portion is almost entirely at one side of the channel portion 2, permitting the squeegee to lit closely against the glass with the band portion 11, inserted in the gap between the windshield sections. as clearly shown in detail in Fig. 3.

A guard for the squeegee. adaptable for use on either of the types shown, is provided, and consists of a metal channel 12, adapted to be engaged over the rubber squeegee 8, extending over the margins of the, channel portion 2, clamping resiliently thereon, to protect the squeegee when the device is not in use. said guard being removable by merely withdrawing the same longitudinally along the channel portion Q, out of engagement therewith.

The operation is as follows:

The form of my device illustrated in Fig. l, is, as pointed out, attachable over the upper edge of the windshield and is capable of being moved slidably therealong to clean the exterior surface of the windshield by movement of the rubber squeegee S, thereover, the operator using the wing plate 6, on the interior side of the windshield for the purpose. The resiliently acting fiat metal bar portion 1, serves to retain the squeegee 8, pressed against the outer surface of the windshield glass, and the roller 5, against the inner surface of the glass and rolling upon the glass to permit easy Inovement of the device.

The form of device illustrated in Figs. 3, 5, and 6, is more particularly adapted for use upon clear-vision windshields wherein the thin resilient band portion 11. of the device is inserted through the slot between the upper windshield section 9, and lower windshield section 10, one of the sections being first moved into a tilted position to permit attachment of the device. The opera- Y tion is identical with that described in the foregoing instance, the operator merely sliding the entire device from one end of the windshield to the other by means of the wing plate 6, on the interior side of the windshield. The guard shown in Figs. 5 and 6, for the squeegee is capable of ready attachment and detachment over the channel portion 2, to eectually inclose the squeegee therein to protect the same when the device is not in use.

I am aware that various details of construction may be varied through a wide range without departing from the principles of this invention, and I therefore do not purpose limiting the patent granted otherwise than necessitated by the prior art.

I claim as my invention:

1. A windshield cleaner comprising a channel portion, a rubber squeegee mounted therein. a flat curved portion integral with said channel portion, an extension integral with said Hat portion, a roller supported thereby, and a wing guard plate, rigidly secured on said extension engaging around said roller and adapted when the device is mounted on the windshield to operate the same slidably therealong from the interior side thereof to move the squeegee over the exterior surface of the glass.

2. A windshield cleaner of the class described adapted for connection over the upper margin of the windshield or through the gap between the upper and lower sections of the windshield comprising an exterior channel portion, a cleaning strip mounted therein, an inner operating portion, a roller connected therewith, a resilient thin strip connecting said inner and outer portions of the device acting normally to lnpel the same toward one another to hold the same attached upon the glass of the Windshieldj and a wing plate surrounding and guarding said roller and adapted to be used es a handle for moving the cleaner across the Windshield to clean the seme.

3. A Windshield cleaner comprising a channel portion, n rubber squeegee mounted therein, e. flat curved resilient portion integml with said channel portion, e. tubular extension integral with said flat portion, seid respective channel and tubular portions normally impelled toward one another by the resiliency of said Het portion, a pin inserted into said tubular portion, a roller journeled thereon, e plate rigidly engaged on said pin to hold said roller in position, and a guard integrally formed on said plate surrounding and guarding said roller, said plate adapted when the cleaner is mounted on the windshield to alord e means for o erating the cleaner across the Windsliie d from the interior side thereof to move the squeegee over the exterior surface of the windshield to clean the same.

In testimonj,r whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

RAYMOND H. OWEN.

Witnesses CHARLES W. HILLS, Jr., EARL M. HARDINE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner o! Patents, Washington, D. 

